At the three quarters marker of the overall season, this would normally be the point where shows start ramping up towards their final acts, and setting the pieces in place for whatever confrontation is likely to dominate their last couple episodes. However, with two of my shows continuing into winter and Tsurune so delayed in its broadcast, this turned out to mostly be just another week, as shows like Run with the Wind and JoJo turned in relatively workmanly episodes, and only Gridman truly swung for the fences. In truth, the big story this week was probably my continued efforts to catch up on Bloom Into You. I enjoyed the show’s first episode, but fell off it due to a combination of my already-full schedule and the fact that Bloom Into You wasn’t on Crunchyroll. That’s turned out to be a big mistake; four episodes in, Bloom Into You is already shaping up to be one of the best character dramas of the year, and a strong contender for my end-of-year list. It won’t make it on that list without a fight though, so let’s take a moment and see how all of its seasonal compatriots are holding together. It’s time to run down the Week in Review!
Tag Archives: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Fall 2018 – Week 8 in Review
As we continue into the second half of the season, all my anime contenders seemed to have settled into themselves at this point, offering a variety of sturdy and compelling episodes. The highlight this week was Yamada’s star turn on Tsurune, but there was plenty to enjoy in Gridman as well, and Run with the Wind is still probably the most consistent new show of the season. I was sad to bid goodbye to the Mistress of Cruelty over in puppet theater country, but outside of that admittedly personal complaint, I really don’t have much to gripe about. It’s a good season, folks! Good dramas, good action, good anime all around. That might make for repetitive Week in Review intros, but it also makes for a very happy Nick. Let’s get right to it then, and see what we’ve got to celebrate as we break this week down!
Fall 2018 – Week 7 in Review
We’re into the proving grounds at this point, folks. With the season over halfway over, we’re now entering the episodes that demonstrate whether our seasonal crop are merely capable of pulling off a couple great episodes, no more than a strong aesthetic sensibility, or a genuinely lasting work of fiction. Our various contenders are all answering this question through whatever means they can muster, but so far, it’s the action team-up of Thunderbolt/JoJo and the relentless consistency of Run with the Wind that are setting the pace. Both Gridman and Tsurune are still perfectly engaging shows, but they haven’t really presented that hard sell yet – Tsurune’s emotional drama still feels a little underwritten, while Gridman’s many mysteries haven’t quite congealed into a thrilling whole. Still, it’s the messiness of fiction that’s often most satisfying to write about, and we’ve got plenty to celebrate even in the season’s shakier shows. Let’s run down one more week in anime!
Why It Works: The Spectacular Boat Battle of Abbacchio
Hell no I won’t stop talking about JoJo. This week’s Why It Works article is basically a piece I was destined to write at some point – a breakdown of the various style shifts apparent in the move from Diamond is Unbreakable to Golden Wind. I was initially hesitant to embrace Golden Wind’s style, particularly after I so adored the compositional glory of Diamond, but the show has absolutely sold its unique identity at this point. New JoJo is grosser and closer and more focused on movement than Diamond, and all those qualities are resulting in a very engaging production. Here’s the piece!
Golden Wind’s Manifesto: The Spectacular Boat Battle of Abbacchio
Fall 2018 – First Half in Review
Dear lord, is the season really halfway over already? Well folks, we’re somehow here, and I think it’s about time to take stock of the season so far. Traditionally, I’ve used these halfway point articles as a way to informally rank all my ongoing shows; more recently, I’ve decided that particular gag has far outlived its theoretical charm, and am now happy just to break down my overall thoughts on each seasonal contender. The seasonal halfway point is a pretty silly time to rank shows, but it’s actually a very reasonable time to more generally assess them; with shimmering premieres long in the past and thrilling finales far in the future, it’s at this point that shows demonstrate their true stamina, their ability to keep us engaged week after week.
As for this particular season, I’m still more than content with my sturdy mix of sports dramas, action spectacles, and SSSS.Gridman’s tokusatsu-slanted weirdness. I’m not sure this season has one highlight I love as much as summer’s Planet With or winter’s Violet Evergarden, but the overall quality of my watch schedule is very high – this is a season marked not by highs and lows, but by perpetual consistency. That doesn’t mean I don’t have much to talk about, of course; even if everything I’m watching is pretty darn good, it’s all pretty darn good in its own unique way. With that, let’s start with this season’s most venerable franchise, and break down Fall 2018!
Why It Works: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is Invading Your Home!
Yep, we’re back on the JoJo train. For this week’s Why It Works, I focused specifically on the show’s long history of home invasion narratives, and how well they work for its specific blend of action and horror. To be honest, you could probably write a supplementary article on how the show embraces “invasion” more generally, often through terrifying Stands like Rohan’s Heaven’s Door. But the language of home invasions specifically is baked deeply into JoJo’s DNA, so I was happy to focus on that for now!
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is Invading Your Home!
Fall 2018 – Week 5 in Review
With the season nearing its halfway point, basically all of my shows have settled into their mid-run neutral at this point, and continue to each offer their own steady charms. Thunderbolt Fantasy feels like it’s at last in full swing at this point, offering thrilling fights and meaty discussions between its thoroughly established cast. Run with the Wind is also demonstrating great confidence, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure seems to be harnessing everything Araki has learned so far. The only real weak point this week was SSSS.Gridman’s beach episode, but to be honest, I feel like a beach episode was basically a sunk cost for that show from the start. All in all, the fall season continues to offer plenty of excitement, and seems determined to end this year on a high note. Let’s run these shows down!
Fall 2018 – Week 4 in Review
I’m starting to think there may actually be fewer ways to say “the anime was good again” than there are to say “anime was a mistake.” While Run with the Wind experienced a little roughness in its integration of various genre influences, it still offered a strong episode on the whole, and both our other character-focused dramas knocked it out of the park. Gridman did a phenomenal job of humanizing its heroine Rikka, while Tsurune carried us through a bevy of tiny, well-observed scenes that demonstrated exactly what Kyoto Animation does best. We are getting absolutely spoiled this season, and I’m doing my best to savor every moment. Let’s run down all these worthy cartoons as we explore another week in anime!
Fall 2018 – Week 3 in Review
Why does the anime do this to me. I feel like Run with the Wind, Gridman, and Tsurune could all easily have claimed the top spot in either spring or summer – here in fall, having all three of them at once just seems excessive. I know you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, but couldn’t we have parceled out these horses a little more consistently throughout the seasons? My cup runneth over with gift horses.
Anyway, complaints about Too Much Good Anime aside, there sure is a whole lot of good anime this season. Tsurune finally made its debut this week, and stunned from start to finish with its gorgeous color work, efficient characterization, and generally compelling art design. Run with the Wind maintained its cheerful general excellence, while Gridman demonstrated that its “default mode” is still a show well worth celebrating. With the action spectacles also holding steady, this is looking to quite possibly be the best season of the year overall. It feels almost certain that over half of my current watching schedule will end up in my top ten of the year, with only winter’s formidable Evergarden-After the Rain-Universe-Laid Back Camp block offering much competition. I am thrilled to be enjoying this much anime, and eager to share all my enthusiasm with you. Let’s start with our running boys and run this week down!
Why It Works: The Dramatic Power of a Great Anime Ending Song
Today on Crunchyroll, I directly explored a topic that’s always been very interesting to me, but I’ve never really handled explicitly before. That’s frankly become a rarity at this point, given the hundreds of articles I’ve written, so I was happy to do a very specific dive into the various ways a smartly chosen ending song can actually elevate the drama of a show. I hope you enjoy the piece!
The Dramatic Power of a Great Anime Ending Song
